Assigned to JUDE                                                                                                                   FOR COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session

 

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2207

 

child sex trafficking; juvenile defendants

Purpose

Requires a person that is convicted of a class 2 felony for child sex trafficking to be at least 18 years old to be sentenced to imprisonment for natural life. Contains requirements for enactment for initiatives and referendums (Proposition 105).

Background

A person who is convicted of a class 2 felony for child sex trafficking must be sentenced to imprisonment for natural life in the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Reentry and Rehabilitation. A person who is sentenced to natural life is not eligible for any form of release (A.R.S. § 13-720).

Statute outlines conduct that constitutes child sex trafficking to include knowingly:
1) causing any minor to engage in prostitution; 2) enticing, recruiting, harboring, providing, transporting, making available to another or otherwise obtaining a minor with the intent to cause the minor to engage in prostitution or any sexually explicit performance; and 3) receiving any benefit for or on account of procuring or placing a minor in any place or in the charge or custody of any person for the purpose of prostitution.

Child sex trafficking is a class 2 felony, except that it is a class 5 felony if a person who is at least 18 years old engages in prostitution with a minor who is 15, 16 or 17 years old. An offender convicted of a first offense for sex trafficking of a minor under 15 years old is subject to a presumptive sentence of 20 years imprisonment. If the minor is 15, 16 or 17 years old, the presumptive sentence for a first offense of child sex trafficking is 10.5 years (A.R.S. § 13-3212).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.   Specifies that the natural life imprisonment sentence for class 2 felony child sex trafficking only applies if the offender was at least18 years old at the time of the offense.

2.   Makes technical changes.

3.   Contains a legislative intent clause.

4.   Requires for enactment the affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the Legislature (Proposition 105).

5.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.


House Action

JUD                 1/29/25      DPA    9-0-0-0

3rd Read          2/13/25                  53-0-7

 

Prepared by Senate Research

March 14, 2025

ZD/AW/ci